The MLS NEXT Pro season rolls on this weekend, with MNUFC2 catching a ride with the first team down to Kansas City to take on SKC II. Sunday’s matchup will mark the third meeting of the season for these two sides, and with SKC hovering right below the playoff line and the Loons needing a perfect remainder to the season to sneak in, this match should have some excitement.
As the season has begun to wind down, the Loons have started to heat up, with a three-game unbeaten streak seeing them earn seven points and two shootout victories. While the influence of several first-team players has helped the Twos earn these results, the culmination of a season’s worth of training and opportunities has helped several of the club’s academy players—including Aidan Martinez and Anderson Farris, among others—to step into prominent roles and perform when called upon.
Most recently, a 2-2 draw at CITYPARK saw goals from Enrique Nieves and Rory O’Driscoll seal the regulation draw, and Nieves’ strike was a real peach. Check it out if you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing last game’s opening goal just yet:
After putting together several solid showings and really finding their shooting boots, Head Coach Jeremy Hall and the boys should be coming into this third meeting with SKC with confidence. The Loons have scored at least one goal in each of their last six games, and in the last three alone, they’ve hit the back of the net seven times. The attack is firing on all cylinders right now, but that wasn’t the issue last time they faced SKC.
In their last meeting, a 3-4 loss at the NSC Stadium in early June, the Loons saw a 90+1’ winner go against them after leveling the score in the 86th. It was a heartbreaking way to lose a match, but it should provide some motivation to come out strong in this one. Earlier this season, in late April, MNUFC2 lost their first matchup of the season to SKC 1-4 in Kansas, so if the improvement between meetings remains consistent, this weekend could see them get over the hump and take home all three points.
As for the hosts, it’s been a bit of a struggle for consistency in the closing stages of the season. Three losses and two wins in their last five games have put them on the brink of the playoffs, just one point back from the cutoff line. While they have a game in hand on some of the teams above them, it’s going to be a tight race to the finish, and they’ll be highly motivated to defend their home field and make it a season sweep over the Loons.
This weekend’s match marks the Loons penultimate road fixture, with just one home match and one away match left on the schedule. Anything less than a win will eliminate the Twos from playoff contention this weekend, as would two points for Real Monarchs or Austin FC II, or a win for Houston. Tune in to MLSNEXTPro.com at 5:00 p.m. CT this Sunday to catch the match, and be sure to cheer extra hard to keep the season alive.
